A Mother's Memories
by NoRatCat
Summary: One restless night. Bhati the bat eared fox recalls someone from her childhood. Someone whom she loved and held dear. Based on the 2019 version of the Lion King.


Bhati was having one of those nights. The kind of night where you just couldn't sleep. Her body was willing, but her mind wasn't. No matter what, she couldn't turn off her thoughts. So many presented themselves within her. Glancing about the den, she saw her mate Jengo and their children sleeping nearby. That alone made her smile. She should have been content right then and there, but she just couldn't slip into slumber. The rest of the day had gone on well. She had connected with her old friend Imani, gone back to the den, spent some family time, and then right before bed, she sang her children a lullaby. It was something she did when they were younger, but still occasionally did now.

"The Lion Sleeps Tonight" was one of her community's favorite tunes back in the jungle oasis. And now it served as a means to lull her babies to sleep. Content with her life as she was, she couldn't help but feel just as restless. And so, she got up and walked out of her den.

The starry sky greeted her. Some said the great kings of the past were up there, watching down on everyone. But Bhati wondered if perhaps other animals were up there? She couldn't help but recall a night such as this. Her occasional bouts of restlessness had been plaguing her since her childhood. But there was always one person who could help her.

XXX

_"All right, what do those ones look like?"_

_Little Bhati thought for a moment, concentrating on the sequence of stars. "Um…a hare!" She exclaimed._

_"Hmm. I dunno, they kind of look like a jackal to me."_

_Bhati responded with a giggle. "No it doesn't Daddy!"_

_"Oh you so sure about that?"_

_A nose prodded against Bhati provoking another giggle._

_Sitting next to the young cub was an adult male, looking very much like an older version of her._

_Bhati leaned in close to her father, resting her head against his body. "I love spending time with you like this Daddy. This is our special time."_

_"Well I enjoy our special time too sweetheart." Her father answered._

_"And it's especially special because I'm your favorite!" Bhati piped up._

_"Bhati I don't have a favorite. I love you and your brothers equally." Her father clarified._

_"Yeah but they don't like doing this like we do." Bhati answered._

_That indeed was true. Bhati's elder litter mates didn't find star gazing so exciting. They were more inclined to rough house. Bhati was his little girl though, and he supposed every parent had a child they had a particular special bond with._

_Suddenly Bhati gave out a wide yawn._

_"Well I guess star gazing helped you with your insomnia." Said Bhati's father._

_"Can't we stay up a little longer Daddy?" Bhati asked._

_"No sweetheart, you remembered our deal. We do this until you felt tired."_

_Bhati let out a sigh, "Okay."_

_"That's a good girl."_

_Before they both entered the den, Bhati looked up at her father and said, "I love you Daddy."_

_Her father smiled down at her and rubbed his head against hers. "Love you too princess."_

XXX

"Mommy?"

Back in the present, Bhati turned around to see her son Mosi standing at the mouth of their den.

"Mosi? Mosi what are you doing up?" Bhati asked.

Mosi walked over to his mother, "Couldn't sleep."

Insomia probably was in the blood. "Same here kiddo."

The young cub sat next to his mother, leaning in close to her. Bhati's earlier memory of her father made her recall something she had said. Between her two children, Mosi was a lot closer to her. And quite frankly Bhati enjoyed her time with him. Of course she loved both her son and daughter equally, but she and her son went together so well.

"What are doing?" Mosi asked.

"Oh just something my father did for me whenever I couldn't sleep." Bhati answered. "We would always look at the stars and try to make images out of them." Looking up at a set of stars, Bhati tried connecting the dots. "Like take those ones for example. If you put them together it kind of looks like a lion."

Mosi tried following his mother's example. "I can't see anything."

"It takes practice kiddo. Trust me, I went through the same thing with my father."

Again, the tender memories of her father played back to her, only to be interrupted by her son's question.

"What was Grandpa like?"

The question was simple for Bhati. "Your grandfather was so funny. He could always make me laugh, and he cared about all of us." Bhati's eyes took on a longing look. "He was my best friend."

"What happened to him?" Mosi suddenly asked.

Bhati felt her breath momentarily become trapped. "He's gone. Him, my mother, and my brothers."

"Gone?" Mosi repeated. It took the young fox some time to figure out what "gone" meant, but then it hit him. "Oh...I'm sorry Mom. I didn't mean to make you think of something sad."

"That's okay sweetie. You didn't know. But that's how life is sometimes. I was around your age when I lost them. After that I was on my own. Eventually I found the oasis, met Timon and Pumbaa, and then it was Hakuna Matata from there on out." Those were at least happy memories. "I guess a lot of us were running from our problems. Or at least trying to forget. But no matter how much I lazed and ate bugs to my heart's content, it couldn't make the pain go away." Suddenly a smirk played upon Bhati's face, "That and I knew in my heart, your grandmother rest her soul, would not have approved of my lifestyle."

"Really?" Mosi questioned.

"Oh I can imagine her now. _"I didn't raise a lazy bum!"_." Bhati put on a little voice as she imitated her departed parent. That at least provoked a giggle out of her son. "But you know what? I moved out when I had the chance, came here, met your father, and had you and your sister." Leaning her head in close, till her nose was touching against her son's fur, she added, "And you know what, my life has never been better. I have no regrets!"

Prodding herself against her son, this provoked another series of giggles from her cub.

"Mom stop it!" Mosi laughed as he attempted to wriggle his way free. This only spurred his mother to prod him further till the two of them tussled and rolled. Then at last, they came to a stop.

"Whooo! Now that was fun." Bhati exclaimed.

"You said it!" Mosi replied. "Hey Mom?"

"Hmm?"

"We're buddies right?"

"Right." Bhati replied with a chuckle.

It was tender moments like this that brought Bhati full memories of her late father. And it was here that she felt the pain wash away. And right on cue, Mosi yawned.

"Sounds like someone is getting tired." Bhati said, before yawning herself.

"You too." Mosi replied.

"Well let's get going. If I know your father, he's going to want you well rested." Bhati noted.

"All right." Mosi said with a little sigh.

Mother and son were about to head into the den when Mosi suddenly looked up at the stars. "Hey Mom? I think I see something now."

"Oh?" Bhati said, her curiosity piqued.

"I think it's a fox like us." Mosi answered.

Bhati looked where her son was gazing and as she noticed the pattern of stars, she agreed, "I think you're right."

And as the two foxes headed inside to settle in for sleep, Bhati couldn't help but wonder if that fox in the sky was her father looking down on her. It made her wonder if he was proud of her? But in her heart she knew he was. Her memories told her so.

A/N: Man I am on a roll with these stories. I guess inspiration can really help huh? Now just to let everyone know, I went back into the previous Bhati story and changed the gender and name of the elephant shrew to a male named Imani. I did this because in earlier reports for the film, they said Amy Sedaris voiced an elephant shrew. Only now I learned Amy Sedaris voiced a guinnie fowl while the elephant shrew was voiced by a guy. Any case, here is another in the 2019 Bhati series.


End file.
